'The Boys' Just Killed a Major Character Ahead of Series Finale, Eric Kripke Explains Why—'It Had to Happen'

The Boys has lost one member, leaving both the team and viewers heartbroken.

At the end of the show's penultimate episode, 'The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man They Call Mother's Milk', Frenchie (Tomer Capone) sacrifices himself to protect Kimiko Miyashiro (Karen Fukuhara) from Homelander (Antony Starr). In his final moments, Frenchie tells Kimiko she saved him. The two share a kiss before Frenchie succumbs to his wounds, leaving Kimiko sobbing as the screen cuts to black.

Frenchie's death is the latest in the show's final season, which has already seen the deaths of Reggie Franklin/A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), Misty Tucker Gray/Firecracker (Valorie Curry), and Justin/Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell).

'The Boys' Showrunner Explains Why Frenchie Had to Die

'We knew we had to kill off one of The Boys', Eric Kripke told The Hollywood Reporter.

'You can't have a shot at victory unless it costs your heroes something that's really hard. I always think The Lord of the Rings was so good at that, and Game of Thrones was so good at that. For narrative momentum, your heroes have to pay a steep price — because that's how it works in the real world.'

He also said that they knew early on that 'it was going to be Frenchie' and 'it had to happen'.

'So it was going through each character and deciding what was going to be the most heart wrenching. I think we knew early on it was going to be Frenchie. In so many ways, Frenchie and Kimiko are the heart of the show. Despite what killers they are, they're both so emotionally sweet. We knew this would have real maximum destruction, and I think it had to happen. They would not have a chance of winning if Frenchie doesn't sacrifice himself,' Kripke said.

On the other hand, Tomer Capone said that he knew Frenchie's death was inevitable. 'I knew it. I felt it. I knew it was coming. I knew it was inevitable,' the actor said.

'The Boys' Series Finale Premieres Next Week

The final episode of The Boys, titled 'Blood and Bone', will be released on 20 May 2026 on Prime Video.

The current season has faced backlash from fans over slow pacing, with many complaints about 'filler episodes'. The finale is expected to wrap things up, with a final showdown between The Boys and Homelander.

Kripke previously shared that he's anxious about fan reactions to the final episode, saying that it's 'super hard to do a finale'.

'What makes me most ... anxious about the final season is really hoping we land the plane. It's super hard to do a finale. Fans will retroactively judge the show based on how they feel about the finale. If we stiff it, they will definitely say, "Well, that show wasn't as good as we thought it was." And it's almost like you're trying to secure your legacy with these finales. And it's the first finale I've ever done, too — so it's not like I have any experience with it. So I'm mostly anxious and girding my loins,' Kripke said.

After The Boys, viewers can look forward to Vought Rising, a prequel set to premiere in 2027.